Ink jet printers are well known in the art, and are advantageously utilized in plants utilizing mass production techniques. In particular, ink jet printers are beneficial for applying visible information on packaging of a type formed in continuous sheets which are moved past the printer. The apparatus therefore may be utilized to apply code dates, company names and addresses, or other data to various packaging material.
In sausage packaging equipment, a continuous sheet of labels is threaded through the packaging machine, imprinted with the appropriate data, and then die pressed against an open-topped container carrying the product so as to seal the product therein. In such packaging equipment, it is common to utilize a die which extends across two full rows of containers, so as to reduce the number of movements necessary to attach labels thereto.
However, a problem arises in those situations where a die utilized which will affix more than a single row of labels to the corresponding packages. This problem occurs in the printing apparatus, which is designed to print a single transverse row of labels in a single horizontal pass. Thus, it is necessary to either (1) move the printing apparatus vertically to the next row of labels to imprint the appropriate data; or (2) advance the sheet material so as to align the next row of labels with the printer apparatus. Without these two alternatives, the packaging apparatus would be forced to use only a single row die, or to utilize printing apparatus which prints in vertical columns rather than in horizontal rows.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved sheet material advancer for a packaging machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet material advancer which will allow the use of a transversely movable printer in combination with a continuous sheet of vertical columns of labels.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a sheet material advancer which permits the use of dual row or greater die press apparatus in combination with a transversely movable printer apparatus.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet material advancer which is simple to operate, and economical to manufacture.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.